ORLANDO, Fla. — Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson said Friday the terror attacks in Paris, France further demonstrate “there are those out there who have a thirst for blood.”
Speaking to reporters at the Florida GOP’s Sunshine Summit, the retired neurosurgeon said he would work with U.S. allies “using every resource known to man — economic resources, covert resources … military resources,” to eliminate ISIS as president “before they eliminate us.”
“We have to realize that the global jihadist movement is an existential threat. It is very different than any threat we’ve faced previously,” Carson said.
Carson’s campaign also issued a statement minutes before the retired neurosurgeon spoke to reporters Friday evening.
“The vicious terrorist attacks across Paris are the latest reminder that democracies and lovers of liberty all across the globe are under brutal assault by terrorists,” he said in the statement.
The GOP candidate also endorsed putting American troops on the ground in Iraq and Syria to defeat Islamic State militants in the region, saying such a strategy “would probably be important.”
“Once we demonstrate our resolve to defeat not only ISIS, but the entire global jihadist movement, I think that we will find there will be adequate people who will join,” Carson said.
